Meanwhile, "Burlington's Committee on Temporary Shelter sent letters to supporters last month [to] try to raise money so it can lease space for an overflow shelter for the winter" and "in Vergennes, the John Graham Emergency Shelter bought an apartment building for 'transitional housing.'" John Graham's Executive Director explained that "right now her clients can't even afford the meager costs of the transitional apartments." She concluded, "The shelter is basically sometimes facing some of the same issues that families face. We have to figure out how to pay the utilities, how to heat the units, how to make the mortgages. And what we had hoped is that people would have some income. And what we're finding is people just have none or very, very little.''
]]>"Regardless of rising costs, families who qualify for free meals will continue to receive those meals at no charge, said Joanne Heidkamp, program director for the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger. That's because "schools are reimbursed by the federal government for each free breakfast and lunch served to an eligible child. The amount a child pays for a reduced-price lunch is 40 cents, and the government reimburses the school for the balance up to the full federal reimbursement rate."
Other schools are following Burlington's lead. "At Charlotte Central School, the price of lunch will increase to $3 from $2.50. Hinesburg, Shelburne and Williston school lunch prices will increase 25 cents, to $2.50, and Champlain Valley Union High School will remain at $2.25." In addition, "the Milton School District will raise its lunch prices 25 cents — to $2.25 for elementary students and $2.50 for middle and high school students – and lunch prices at Shelburne Community School will also rise by 25 cents."
]]>Safe Harbor
"Safe Harbor’s space includes an examination room, a dental room, offices and a separate waiting room for families with young children. Most Safe Harbor patients do not pay for their care, and nearly all qualify for some kind of health insurance, according to Christine Barton," who staffs the clinic’s front desk. Barton added that "many insured homeless, being constantly on the move, lose track of their coverage." In turn, "staff work to keep their patients insured, and the center’s Health Care for the Homeless Program bails out patients without insurance."
Pearl Street
"Pearl Street’s waiting room walls are adorned with photographs taken by its patients. The clinic has a supply closet full of donated personal-hygiene products — toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, shampoo — that it hands out to patients. A bowl of condoms sits on a coffee table in an office." According to Physician assistant Lee Orsky, who has worked at the Pearl Street Clinic for 17 years, "The clinic treats homeless youth and young people at risk of becoming homeless." She added, "'Many patients initially come into the clinic to check on a tattoo that might be infected or to get birth control pills.'She said she encourages them to return, establish a health plan and maintain a day planner."
